Linebacker Matt Demicoli sees one obstacle standing in the way of Emporia State becoming an elite football team.
That would be 13th-ranked Pittsburg State.
“They’re one of the top teams in the country,” Demicoli said. “If we want to be up there, we’re going to have to go through them first.”
The Hornets will get the opportunity to do just that on Saturday, facing the Gorillas in a 1 p.m. showdown at Welch Stadium.
For ESU, there might be more at stake than just one game.
A victory would not only give the Hornets a win against one of their biggest rivals, it would also push them to 3-0 in the conference and make them a legitimate contender at the top of the MIAA conference.
“We win this one,” ESU coach Dave Wiemers said, “and then we’ve got a chance to be in it for the long haul.”
It certainly won’t be easy.
The Hornets will tangle with the top offense in Division II football.
PSU averages 55.5 points and 505 total yards per game, which are both tops in D-II.
Though the Gorillas have been known historically as a run-dominated team, that trend has changed in the last few years.
In fact, PSU is averaging more passing yards (265.2) than rushing yards (239.8) so far this season.
The team also enters with the MIAA’s leading passer (Mark Smith), scorer (Germaine Race), receiver (Bryan Pray) and tackler (Jason Northern).
“They’re as great of a team, as they always are,” Wiemers said.
A big key for ESU will be surviving the first quarter.
PSU has a tendency to bury opponents if it gets on them early. The Gorillas have outscored foes 63-14 in the first quarter this season.
“We have to get to them first,” Demicoli said. “If we just sit back and let them hit us, they’re going to put up a lot of points.”
ESU, for the most part, has been a better second half team. The Hornets have outscored the competition 38-7 in the fourth quarter and did not allow a point in the second half through the first three weeks.
All of which makes the opening minutes that much more important.
“If we play well, we’ll have a chance to be in the ball game,” Wiemers said. “If we don’t, they’ll take care of us.”
The biggest concern for ESU on defense will be stopping the Harlon Hill candidate Race.
Last year against the Hornets, he had 25 carries for 171 yards and four touchdowns in a 52-17 Gorilla blowout victory.
The senior needs 18 points to tie the all-time MIAA record for points, held by former ESU back Brian Shay.
Meanwhile, Smith and Pray give PSU the weapons needed for a quick-strike offense.
The two hooked up for a 99-yard pass reception for touchdown last week against Missouri Southern.
“If you start keying in on No. 22 (Race),” Wiemers said, “they’re going to make a play somewhere else.”
The Gorillas have been especially efficient offensively this season, averaging only 1:56 of elapsed time per scoring drive. They are also ranked dead-last in the nation in time of possession.
Meanwhile, the Hornet offense will try to continue its steady production.
ESU is ranked second in the conference behind PSU in both yards (435) and points (42.5).
The game will be the second on the Hornets’ quest to win what Wiemers calls the ‘state championship.’
The Hornets already defeated the Fort Hays State Tigers, 48-10, and will face the Washburn Ichabods in one month.
“It’s a great goal for us to have because the years we’ve done it, we’ve been in the hunt,” Wiemers said. “We would like to do it again.”
Wiemers, himself, received his start in collegiate coaching at PSU. He was a graduate assistant for the Gorillas in 1993, coaching the defensive line.
Though some of his best friends are still on the Gorilla staff, all will be set aside for Saturday’s contest.
“It’s a very excitable game for all of our players and I know our fans,” Wiemers said. “We certainly want to play great.”
Demicoli said the team would like to accomplish a little more with the game — and perhaps earn a little respect with it.
“We’re the underdog,” Demicoli said, “so obviously we want to show people we’re a good team.”
Notes: The matchup between PSU’s Race and ESU’s defense has been highlighted by Yahoo! national sports columnist John Murphy in his weekly column. The showdown is listed as one of the five “top matchups of the week” and is the only Division II reference in the piece... ESU is just 3-7 in its last 10 home games... PSU is 3-3 in games when it has been ranked No. 13 in the country... The Gorillas have scored on their opening drive in 11 of their last 18 games, posting an 11-0 record in those games... Since 1986, PSU is 9-19-1 when it is held under 200 yards rushing... The Gorillas have scored touchdowns on 22 of their 26 trips into the red zone... Both teams have the ability to break the big play. PSU has 10 scoring plays of 20 yards or more, and ESU has 11.